1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a remote controller used for remote-controlling visual, audio, air-conditioning or other equipment mainly in an automobile.
2. Background Art
With recent progress of the function and diversity of automobiles, visual, audio, air-conditioning, or other equipment is being introduced into an automobile. The operating part of the equipment is provided on a front panel of the automobile. Additionally, a remote controller for remote-controlling such equipment from the back seat or the like far from the front panel is being introduced.
The remote controller used inside of an automobile in this manner is possibly left under a seat or hidden in the gap between a center console and a seat in some cases. A remote controller having an informer for informing the location of the remote controller by a predetermined operation is disclosed in Japanese Patent Unexamined Publication No. 2000-22562, for example, so that the remote controller can easily be found in such a case.
A conventional remote controller is described with reference to FIG. 4. FIG. 4 is a front view of a conventional remote controller. On the top face of substantially box-shaped housing 21 made of insulating resin, operating part 22 is provided. Operating part 22 has a plurality of keys each protruding vertically movable. The bottom face of each key has switch contacts (not shown). In housing 21, a circuit board (not shown) having a plurality of wiring patterns formed on the top and bottom faces thereof is housed. Electronic components, such as a microcomputer, mounted on the top and bottom faces of this circuit board form a controller (not shown). Electronic components, such as a light-emitting diode (LED), form transmitter 24.
Further, on this circuit board, an antenna, a buzzer, and the like are mounted to form a receiver and an informer (neither shown). Thus, a remote controller is structured.
Such a remote controller is placed inside of a vehicle. When a predetermined key on the remote controller is pressed from the back seat or the like far from the front panel, the switch contacts of the key are brought into electric contact and the controller detects the operation state. The predetermined key stands for key 22A for powering on/off equipment or key 22B for adjusting sound volume, for example. Then, an infrared remote-control signal corresponding to each of these keys is transmitted from transmitter 24 to the equipment. Thus, the audio or air-conditioning equipment is powered on/off or sound volume is adjusted by remote control.
However, when a remote controller is left under the seat or hidden in the gap between the center console and the seat, it is difficult to be found. In such a case, a user operates a predetermined switch (not shown) on the front panel or the like. Then, an antenna (not shown) provided near the room lamp, for example, transmits a radio wave including a search signal. When the receiver of the remote controller receives this search signal, the buzzer in the informer sounds and informs the user of the location of the remote controller. Thus, the user can easily find the remote controller.
Incidentally, when any key on the remote controller, e.g. key 22A, is pressed, in other words, when any passenger uses the remote controller, the controller stops the operation of the informer. That is, while it is considered that the remote controller is normally operated, even if other passenger inadvertently operates the search switch and the receiver receives the search signal, the informer does not operate.
As described above, for the conventional remote controller, even when a search signal is transmitted with any key pressed, the informer does not operate. For this reason, when a baggage is placed on the remote controller or the remote controller is sandwiched between the seats, i.e. some keys are pressed, the remote controller cannot be located and is difficult to be found.